


Reasons to stay

by Fl_utterby



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, M/M, Minor Character Death, One-Sided Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Pre-Nico di Angelo/Will Solace - Freeform, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:02:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26376205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fl_utterby/pseuds/Fl_utterby
Summary: It's been only a week since the battle, and Nico has begun to doubt if what Percy had said about a son of Hades being accepted among the demigods is actually true.They haven't rejected him outright, but in the years he spent alone, he has learnt to know when he's not needed. When he's being treated like a guest who has overstayed their welcome.(An account of how Will and Nico meet for the first time.)
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 7
Kudos: 92





	Reasons to stay

**Author's Note:**

> This is how I like to imagine Will and Nico meet. Mentions of some foreshadowing elements for HOO and TOA.

It's been only a week since the battle, and everywhere he sees, he finds Percy and Annabeth together.  
  
They're practically everywhere, running around offering their help wherever needed, at the arena sparring like their life depended on it, at the dining pavilion (the seating rules have mellowed out a bit), at the campfire, and the lake.   
  
The campers seem happy that the couple have finally come to their senses. _At least now we don't have to witness their unresolved romantic tension,_ one of them says. Some of them had even thrown them into the lake as a way of inaugurating their relationship. Even with everything that had happened that day, was a lot of laughter.   
  
Nico wishes he could be happy for them as well. For Percy.   
  
At present they're sparring in the training area— well-matched and ruthless, like they don't know how to go easy on each other. But there's also a sense of familiarity and practiced ease in the fight. Something that makes them believe that even amidst the most serious spars, they trust each other with their lives. 

* * *

It's been only a week since the battle, and Nico has begun to doubt if what Percy had said about a son of Hades being accepted among the demigods is actually true.   
  
They haven't rejected him outright, but in the years he spent alone, he has learnt to know when he's not needed. When he's being treated like a guest who has overstayed their welcome.   
  
_Reasons to stay_  
_~~A home in the camp~~ ~~Nowhere else to go~~ A home  
~~Funeral rites~~  
~~Building a Hades cabin~~  
Friends??   
Percy_  
  
Their uneasiness can be witnessed in the hushed whispers in little groups that miraculously stop whenever he joins them. Their accusing eyes _accusing him of what, exactly?_ follow him when he passes by them, wait until they think he's out of earshot, and start whispering amongst themselves again.   
  
The fact that he's very much aware of his creepiness doesn't do him any favours. Had he been a normal demigod, he would most likely have done the same.   
  
_Reasons to stay  
~~A home in the camp~~ ~~Nowhere else to go~~ A home  
~~Funeral rites~~  
~~Building a Hades cabin~~  
~~Friends??~~   
Percy_  
  
And then there's Percy.   
  
The only reason Percy is at the bottom of the list is because Nico is too much of a coward to admit his feelings to himself. Nico could be happily giving away his life for him and he would still act like Percy didn't matter.   
  
_What were you expecting?_ he thinks for the eleventh time this morning itself, _That Percy Jackson would fall in love with you just because you gave him the idea of bathing in River Styx?_  
  
He wishes he could believe that Annabeth wasn't perfect for Percy. He wishes even more that he could despise Annabeth and make himself feel better, all the while ignoring how much of a horrible person it would make him.   
  
But he doesn't. Annabeth has been nothing but friendly to him and he can almost believe that its genuine. She had even thanked him in person for getting reinforcements and helping in the battle that day. And then she had gone to bake that stupid blue cake for Percy's birthday.   
  
In the end, he decides, it doesn't matter. Right now his main concern is adjusting at the camp and helping build the new cabins. He's got to make the camp his home, works to do, and he's not going to let stupid feelings get in the way.   
  
_Percy is the least of my priorities_.   
  
Maybe if he chants it enough times in his head, he'll be able to convince himself. And maybe it won't hurt that much.   
  


* * *

  
"Umm, hey Nico."   
  
Nico is startled from his thoughts by a distant voice. A boy in camp tshirt and shorts is coming towards him. A son of Apollo. Nico remembers Percy telling him something about the boy being the best medic in the camp. _Will, was it? Or Lee?_  
  
He stands besides Nico in an uncertain manner and tries for a smile that's probably meant to be less awkward. Nico hopes for his own sake that the boy's nervousness isn't stemming from breathing the same air as a child of God of the dead. He wouldn't be surprised if it were, though.   
  
_Should he say something?_  
  
"Hello. Uh, Will right?" He asks, probably with the same amount of uncertainty.   
  
"Yeah, Will Solace. From the Apollo cabin."   
  
He vaguely recalls the boy from the battle of Manhattan. Even during the pressure, the combat medic had acted bravely amidst the chaos and saved multiple lives. He had even saved Annabeth as the battle had raged on, and Percy had thanked him like a million times since then.   
  
"The head counselor?"   
  
From the change in Will's demeanor, Nico realizes a little too late that it's a sensitive question to ask. Will's eyes seem to shelter so much pain and an unclaimed burden on his shoulders that Nico has to wonder if he's going to crush under its weight.   
  
"Well, the acting head actually," Will tries for another smile, but it's more like a grimace. "Umm, that's what I wanted to talk about."   
  
When Nico gives him a nod of affirmation, Will continues.  
  
"I— umm, where do I start. Do you know Michael Yew?" Nico shakes his head. "Right. Um, he's— was our Head counselor.   
  
"Oh, I remember now. The one who fell off and died at the bridge right?"   
  
Will winces at that and Nico has to try hard to resist face-palming himself. _Try being a little less blunt, idiota._ He really needs to have a chat with someone about his people skills.   
  
"We never found his body," he sounds like he's having trouble getting the words out, "I haven't had the time to search by myself because of the infirmary but my siblings have led a search party twice already."  
  
"Since his body wasn't found, I— we— well, maybe there's a chance that he's still alive?" He seems to be regretting this by the second. "I mean, maybe he got away and is injured somewhere? Do you know anything about it?"   
  
The boy's—Will's— eyes are a mixture of equal parts hopeful and resigned. Like he already knows the answer, but a part of him that clings to denial wants to ask anyway. Even if it's going to break his heart all over again.   
  
Nico had visited the underworld after the funeral rites. There were three children of Apollo— two boys and a girl. Nico supposes the shorter of the two was Michael. Even in death, he had seemed to possess the bluntness, the air of command and attitude that comes with being a Head Counsellor and an archer.   
  
When he thinks about it, it wasn't difficult to locate Michael in the underworld. Telling that to Will without somehow hurting his feelings even more, that's the difficult part.   
  
"I don't think that's very likely Will, if he were alive, why wouldn't he come back to the camp?" Nico chooses diplomacy. _Just tell him you saw Michael Yew in the underworld. He deserves the truth._  
  
"But what if he got away? We would have found his body otherwise. Both times the search party—  
  
"—Will," he absolutely hates himself for interrupting, "Michael's dead."   
  
"Oh." Will's legs stop jiggling and his body goes still.   
  
"I'm sorry." He doesn't know what else to say.   
  
"No, it's okay. I wanted so hard to believe otherwise, but I think I expected that. I guess I just wanted closure, you know."  
  
Nico can understand that. They hadn't found Bianca's body either. Or rather, hadn't looked for her. To this date he can't decide if it would be better or worse for him if they had.   
  
"Do you— do you think he— he and the others got elysium?" Will's voice is wavering, almost broken. A little hopeful. _The hope never seems to leave him even for a moment.  
_  
"I— yeah, he did. As far as I remember, all three children of Apollo got elysium." With those words, a metaphorical baloon deflates from Will's body and he lets out a deep breath of relief. Nico wonders how long he had been holding onto it.   
  
The Apollo cabin had burned a total of three golden shrouds for only two bodies. Add that to the list of people he couldn't save during and after the battle, Will must have witnessed more deaths than anyone. _Except himself, of course._ But judging from the dark circles around his eyes and a strong smell of antiseptics coming from him, Will hasn't had the luxury to mourn their death. Or in Michael's case, accept his death.   
  
Nico sits in silence, his eyes involuntarily seeking Percy and his ongoing spar with Annabeth. Even when they fight, they seem to complement each other. So _perfect_ for each other.   
  
"Hey Will, we need your help!"   
  
A girl with green dyed hair, about Nico's height and age sprints towards them. Nico hadn't even realized that Will was still here.   
  
"Didn't you _just_ kick me out of the infirmary?" Will huffs.   
  
"Yeah, so you could get some rest, not— Hey what are you even doing here?" the girl asks.   
  
Will just shrugs and turns to Nico to give him a small smile. Nico thinks (or maybe hopes) that this time it's a genuine smile, albeit a little melancholic.   
  
"Anyway, we need your help," she continues, "Clarisse is throwing a tantrum about Gods know what. Chiron is reasoning with her right now, but he seemed like he was about to give up."   
  
Will lets out a long sigh and looks like someone who's about to enter the lion's den. Nico has given up on their conversation for the sole reason of not being able to understand what the Hades they're talking about. He's already standing up when he turns to Nico.   
  
"I've got to go. Calm the wild boar down."   
  
"To be honest, it would be easier for a wild boar to see reason and calm down," the girl snickers.   
  
"Huh?" The sound escapes Nico before he can control himself.   
  
"Nothing, it's an inside joke," Will says easily.   
  
"Oh."  
  
"Hey, thank you." Will smiles at him once more.   
  
"You're welcome."   
  
"I— I'll see you around?" Will says, almost as an afterthought.   
  
And then he leaves without waiting for a reply, which works in Nico's favour because he doesn't know what to say to that without being cross. _Spare me your formalities. Like anyone would actually want to see me around_. It's difficult not being envious of them even when they have just lost three of their siblings and their head counsellor.   
_  
Oh, it's nothing,_ they say like it's the most natural thing in the world _, just an inside joke. With my friends and siblings. Who have known me for a long time and don't flinch at the sight of me.  
_  
They can throw around inside jokes carelessly and walk around without having to doubt if they really have a home here. They belong here, in the camp. Nico does not.   
_  
But what if Will had meant it?_ A traitorous part of him can't help but hope _. Could he have friends here, find a home after all?_  
  
— _CRACK!  
  
_Nico follows the sound, and watches as Annabeth is pinning Percy to the ground. She's holding the dagger to his neck, eyes filled with mirth and a streak of mischief. She's claims her victory but Percy looks at her like he's won something much, much valuable .   
  
Annabeth leans down the same time as Percy reaches up to kiss her, and they meet halfway. Nico looks away, probably with a blush, feeling like an intruder at the intimate display of affection. Not that it would make a difference; Percy and Annabeth are so engrossed in their own little world that no one would be able to reach them.   
_  
It's all for better_ , Nico thinks, _at least he won't notice me pining over him._  
  
_Reasons to stay  
~~A home in the camp~~ ~~Nowhere else to go~~ A home  
~~Funeral rites~~  
~~Building a Hades cabin~~  
~~Friends??~~  
~~Percy~~_  
  
He mentally crosses off Percy off the list. Something he should have done a long time ago. Because he never had the slightest chance— Percy Jackson had never been his. _And he will never be.  
_  
Running away seems really tempting right now.   
  
But he won't give up, not yet. He still has a reason left, and who knows, maybe this time things will be different. Maybe things will get better, and he'll find a home in the camp.   
  
And even if he doesn't, at least he has a backup plan.

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to fit the _'like a lanky cat stretched out in the sun'_ but it didn't seem to fit anywhere. 
> 
> I hope you liked this. Comments and kudos, maybe? 
> 
> I'm also working on a short series of one-shots featuring Solangelo. If you like this, you'll probably (hopefully) like that one as well.


End file.
